Coming Into Their Own
by rogue-scholar07
Summary: While Andi's visiting her mother, Shadowatch is left without a leader. Siedefic to LTB.
1. Invitations

**Author's note:**** Here (finally) is the sidefic to Learning to Breathe. While Andi's away, the rest of the team deals with their own problems, including insane relatives, crazy duels, and an occasional explosion (or three). In case you've forgotten, Kris, Bryan, and Mitch are mine. Oh, and so is Kim (kristen's sister). anyone else obviously isn't mine.**

**Disclaimer:****Come on now, try and understand The way I feel under your command [1 **

**Coming into Their Own**

**1. Invitations**

"Why did she have to leave?" Mitch grumbled. The team, minus Andi, had gathered in the cafeteria for lunch. Andi was on a flght to Manhattan. "It's never any fun without her."

"She can't control her shifting, guys." Kristen stated. "She probably didn't want to be a bother."

"But she is no bother." Neal whined.

"We know that, but it's her choice." Bryan replied. "I think she likes to spend time with her mom anyway."

"Wish I had a mom to spend time with." Kris grumbled.

"What about the family that…" Regan started.

"They're actually my aunt and uncle." Kris explained. "My real mom… isn't well."

"Is she sick or something?" Regan asked.

"I don't know." Kristen said. "My sister and I were taken away when I was two. Kim won't talk about it."

"Have you asked your foster family?" Mitch asked.

"They seem afraid to tell me. I mean, they only broke the whole 'you two are adopted' thing to me when I was ten, and that triggered my powers." She sighed. "Of course, Kim as some very similar powers, but even after they took me home again they wouldn't tell me about my parents."

"Maybe they're trying to protect you?" Neal offered.

"I just don't know why, though." The teenaged vamp sighed. "Guess I'll never know."

"Cheer up." Bryan smiled. "Maybe things'll start lookin' up for ya?"

"Maybe." Kristen sighed.

XXXXXX

North of Dallas, Texas, there lay a large beige building. This building, the Dallas County mental health facility, housed some of the strangest and most dangerous people in the state. And, in a locked door down the end of the hall on the third floor, a woman begged a security guard to send a message for her.

"Please!" She pleaded, her pale blue eyes watering. "Just give this to my sister! I want her to visit me!"

"I don't know if I'm authorized to do that, Ma'me." The lanky guard sighed. She pouted. "Tell you what, I'll give it to Stacie at the front desk. If she thinks it can go out, she'll send it out."

"Thank you." The woman smiled a devious fanged smile, but nonetheless handed over the letter.

"No problem, Ma'me" The man nodded, carrying the letter up the hall and away from her. On the way, he met up with one of the doctors. "What is with that woman?"

"Her name is Cameron Hastings." The blond physician shook her head. "Been here for twelve years."

"She has fangs." The guard whispered. The doctor merely sighed.

"She believes she's an actual vampire. Drinks blood and everything. Seems to have been brought on when her—ah—lover left her. She has two daughters. Always asking for them, too."

"She wanted me to send off this letter." The man held up the envelope. "Seemed real stressed about it getting sent off to a sister of hers."

"Yes, Cara Mortisson." The blond doctor nodded. "She's the one who got custody of her daughters. I bet this letter's for them. Go ahead and send it. I need to speak with Cameron."

The guard nodded and walked away, while the doctor smiled and walked steadily up to Miss Hastings' door. "Hello, Cameron. How are you feeling today?"

"Did that nice man get my letter?" Cameron asked, her long brown hair falling into her face. "I want to send it to my sister, so my girls can read it."

"He did." The doctor smiled. "We'll send it off with the mail this afternoon. Will that be okay?"

"Yes! Yes, that would be wonderful!" Cameron nodded vigorously. "I want my girls to visit me. Especially Kristen. I haven't seen her in so long…"

"I'll make sure they get that letter." The lady smiled. "I think it would be nice if they came to visit you."

"I miss my girls so much." Cameron smiled whistfully. "They were just babies when they were taken from me."

"I'm sure they would love to see you." The doctor nodded. "I'm sorry to cut our visit short, but I need to see Mr. Mundus two corridors over. Have a nice day, Cameron."

"I will." Cameron grinned wildly. "At last, my babies are coming home…"

XXXXX

On Saturday, Shadowatch gathered in the rec room to watch Digimon when Zartan strode in.

"Kristen, someone's on the phone for you." He said.

"Tell whoever it is that it can wait five minutes." The onyx haired girl replied, not taking her eyes off the tv.

"It's your sister, Kim." Zartan clarified. "She had to get the number from Zarana after she tried our base."

"Kim?" Kristen perked up. "Hang on, guys, I'll be right back."

The gray-skinned girl trotted out of the room and to the phone inside the surveillance room (it was closest). "Hello?"

"Kris!" Her sister exclaimed from the other line. "Oh my word, I am so glad I finally found you."

"Yeah, you found me." Kristen said warily. "Where's the fire?"

"Cara got a letter." Kim said. "From our mother."

Kristen froze in shock. For twelve years, she'd thought her mother gone for good. But now… a letter? "What did it say?" she asked.

"She wants us to visit her." Kim answered. Kristen's heart nearly started to beat again.

"What? Where is she?" Kristen asked. She could hear her sister sigh on the other end of the phone.

"The Dallas county mental hospital." Kim replied. It was all Kristen could do to keep from screaming aloud.

"I'll think about it, okay?" The younger girl said uncertainly. "I'll call you back when I've made my mind up."

"Okay." Kim said. "Just let me know. Mom said she really wanted to see you."

"Fine." Kris said. "Bye."

"Bye." Kim replied with a click. Only after she hang up the phone did Kristen allow herself to fall apart.

**1) Ten points to anyone who guesses the song! Extra points for guessing the author too!  
**

_**  
**_


	2. Confrontations

**Coming into Their Own**

**Disclaimer:**** "Bumblebee! Stop lubricating on the human!" [1**

**A/N:**** After twelve long years, Kristen gets to meet her mother. Who has been locked in the loony bin. And is a vampire. Can Kris and Kim hold it together long enough to keep from getting themselves killed?**

**2. Confrontations**

When Neal found Kristen, she was sobbing next to a supply closet door.

"What's wrong?" He asked. It wasn't like the super-hyper vamp to cry. Especially since she'd professed more than once that she was incapable of sadness. She only ever cried when extremely frightened.

"Nothing!" The ice-eyed girl hiccoughed through a stream of tears.

"It's not nothing." The ebony haired boy deadpanned. "Come on, Kristen. You can tell me stuff. We always talked back in the labs. What scared you?"

At first, she looked down, avoiding her teammate's gaze. After a ragged sigh, she inhaled and spilled her guts to him. "My sister just called. About my mother."

"And?" Neal asked, unsure about where this was going.

"My real mom! She sent a letter to Cara. Apparently, we were taken away from her because she lost her mind and had to be locked in an insane asylum. Anyway, she writes out of the blue and asks Kim and I to come visit her in the loony bin! How crazy is that?"

Neal tilted his head. This had to be the strangest tale he'd heard in a while. However, all he said was "So, are you leaving?"

Kristen growled. "I don't know! I mean, what if she's like completely mental! I don't want to be attacked by my own mother!"

"But she could answer some of the questions you have." The plasma- generating teen offered. "Come on, even when we were in dire straights in the cells, you always talked about wanting to meet your mother. And we both know you've wanted to know more about your father."

The vampirette groaned and banged her head against the metal door. Sharra was right; she did have questions and might never get another opportunity like this one. "I told Kim I'd call her later. Just give me some time to think, okay?"

Neal nodded and stood up. "I'm here if you want to talk." She grinned at him, and he smiled back before walking away.

XXXXXXX

The following Monday, Kristen had arrived at the Dallas county mental health complex. Her stomach began to do cartwheels and she started to regret the poptart she'd had for breakfast. All of her nervous energy wound itself into a sphere that threatened to force its way out of her body. Kim, her big sister, sensed her anxiety and placed a calming hand on her shoulders.

"It'll be all right." The brown-eyed brunette assured her. "She just wants to talk."

"Why didn't she contact us before?" Kristen asked. "I mean, over ten years and this is the first letter?"

"I highly doubt it's the first." Kim retorted. "I think Cara's been keeping us from her on purpose."

"But why?" the midnight-haired teen asked. "Didn't they think we deserved to know she was okay?"

"Listen, Paul married mom because of a drunken fling they had in Vegas." The older vampire explained as one of the aids led them through the building. "Mom… got sick sometimes. I never knew why. I remember our dad sometimes gave her some weird shakes to calm her down, and she was fine most of the time afterwards. After Dad left, she got worse. Paul couldn't take it and filed for divorce. He won the custody suit and the rest is history."

"Wait a tick!" The younger sister exclaimed. "You remember Dad?"

"He left not long after you were born." Kim sighed. "Now stuff it! We're almost there and I don't want to upset her."

The nurse led them to a door at the end of a hallway. Behind the door, a pair of pale aqua eyes stared back at them through a mop of unkempt brown hair. The girls knew, with sinking trepidation, that she was indeed their mother.

"Cameron." The blond nurse said sweetly. "These are your daughters."

Cameron stared at the two girls. "Kimberly? Kristen? Are you really here, my babies?"

"Mom." Kim blinked. "Oh, Mom, I've missed you so much!"

While her older sister ran to the door. Kris stood rooted in the linoleum tile on the floor. It was only until her mother called to her that she dared to move.

"Kristen! Come, my darling! Let me look at you! Oh, Dana, may they please come in?"

The nurse, Dana, looked unsure of this. "I don't know."

"We can handle ourselves." Kim said boldly. "Just for like ten minutes."

Dana considered this, looking to Kristen. "We'll be fine." Kris reassured her. "Just ten minutes? Please?"

"Fine." Dana sighed. "But I'll be at the other end of the hall if you need me."

"We'll let you know if we do." Kim smiled as Dana unlocked the door to Cameron's room.

Once inside, Kristen took a quick visual tour. Walls made of white padded white rubber surrounded them on all sides, and a sink, bed, and toilet were placed on some one wall each. Otherwise, it was quite plain.

"It's so good to see you again." Cameron beamed. Kristen couldn't help noticing her mother's fanged smile. "I have been waiting for you for twelve years! Oh, how you've changed."

"More than you can imagine." Kristen muttered.

"My imagination is quite vivid, dear." Cameron smiled. Kim's eyes threatened to pop from their sockets.

"Mother." She gasped. "You're one too!"

"One what?" Mother smiled sweetly.

"Who was our dad?" Kristen asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"Don't you remember?" Mom asked.

"I was two." Kristen said. "I don't remember much of anything."

"He wasn't around much." Kim said. "What's to know."?

"I need to know!" Kristen shot back. "Why do you keep trying to hide the truth from me?"

"Kimberly, please, stop trying to protect her." Mother interrupted. "She has a right to know."

"But he was never…" the younger brunette started.

"He is still your father." The aqua-eyed woman said. "She deserves to know the truth, and so do you."

"Since we're on the whole truth subject, let's start with how you started draining the blood of others." Kim demanded.

"Do you know why you never met your grandmother?" Their mother asked. Both girls shook their heads. "Grandma was a vampire too. She died when we were little. Someone decided to ram a steak through her heart. Anyway, Cara was born human, and I was a vampire. She was cut off from her family for marrying a mortal. I've been dependent on blood since I was little, your father offered me a way out of killing and I accepted. Stupid me. He only wanted someone to provide him an heir. Was mighty disappointed when both of you showed signs of developing vampirisms at birth."

"What do you mean, 'a way out of killing'?" Kristen asked. "Was he some sort of scientist?"

"That's overly generous." Mother grimaced. "More like Dr. Frankenstein. I've seen him do some strange and twisted things."

"Why didn't you just drain him when you learned the truth?" Kris asked.

"Kristen!" Kim hissed. "How could you think such things!"?

"Oh, shut up, Kim! I think you're afraid of him!" Kris growled. Kim looked wounded.

"Both of you, stop this!" Cameron hissed, beginning to transform before their eyes. Both girls immediately fell silent. "That's better." Cameron growled. "In answer to your inquiry, Kristen, I could not kill him because he is virtually immortal himself! When I did gather the courage to attack, he altered his body into some kind of creature. I wasn't able to land a single bite." She screamed. Kim began to tense up, but Kris kept her cool.

"So he was a mutant?" She asked. Mother stared.

"One of the worst. Mind reader. Don't ever trust someone like that. They will always betray you!"

She could feel her mother's gaze boring into her. Already, she knew her mother's thoughts. She looked like her father. It was blatantly obvious. Kim, with her long chocolate colored hair and delicate facial features, passed as her mother's double in almost every way. Aside from sharing nearly the same eye color, her own physicality most definitely mimicked her father's.

"I'm not a mind-reader." Kristen declared defiantly. "I can alter my molecular structure, but not hear thoughts."

Kim hung her head and sighed. "I don't read thoughts, per say. I can posses the mind of my victims for one lunar cycle."

Mom lost it. On a whim, her eyes glowed red and her already pointed canines elongated to resemble snake's fangs. "You both ally with him!" She shrieked.

"No!" Kim exclaimed. "I haven't seen him in as long as you have! I don't even know…"

"Silence!" Cameron growled. "You have provoked my wrath!"

Kim froze in horror. Kristen barely dragged her sister away before her mother attacked. Wasting no time, Kristen dropped her civilian disguise and lunged at her mother. "Was this what you wanted? To kill us both?" She screamed.

"You have both betrayed me!" Cameron screamed.

"How can we betray you?" Kristen shouted. "We barely know you!"

"Aunt Cara made sure that we never saw…"

"CARA!" The adult cried. "Traitor to my own blood! You have sworn her allegiance, and ergo must perish!" Again, she and Kristen went to blows.

Sure, Andi had taught her a great deal about how to stab and bite your way through a brawl, but this was different. Her mother—the one who was supposed to protect her—was now bent on taking her and her sister's lives. Not for the first time, she wished there were another adult vamp around somewhere.

Kim stood rooted in horror. Never before had her eyes witnessed a fight so brutal. Blood splashed from each in spurts, only for the wound to heal seconds later. Most of her froze at the sight, but one piece of her being itched to join the fray. It was her own fault for being so daft in fights, but she had been raised to become a lady, not a killer. Not like the two relatives before her. But no matter how grotesque the sight was, the thought of losing her sister ranked far higher on the fear-ometer. Abandoning all caution, she jumped into the brawl. "Leave her alone!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Cameron's mentality slipped a gear. "Both of you have followed him. I should have known my sister would brainwash you both! And him for giving her leverage!"

"Someone get down here!" Kristen shouted through the bars on the door.

"No one can save you!" Cameron exclaimed. "I'll make him pay for using you against me!"

"By killing us?" Kim blinked. "Mother, please, don't do this!"

"Don't call me mother, you backstabber!" Cameron hissed. "You shall call me Pariah!"

"Oh brother." Kris groaned. "She's lost whatever marbles she had left!"

"Cameron! Stand back!" One of the guards shouted, sticking a cross up to the door.

"That won't work, you twit!" Kristen shouted. "Just crack the f'n door!"

The men did, and the two teens squeezed out.

"I think we're safe." Kim groaned, but Kristen wasn't quite sure. She had seen just what real vampires were capable of, and it scared her.

The guards continued to fight Cameron at the door. The vampirette had thrown herself into the object and pushed against their efforts with her full strength.

"She's breaking through!" One of them shouted. True to form, as soon as the door had cracked, a curl of smoke floated into the hallway and reformed into Cameron Hastings. She looked more menacing than ever.

"You are all with him!" She shrieked like a banshee. "I shall kill you all!"

Her desire, fortunately, would not come to pass. One of the doctors walked up with a taser and fired, sending the woman to her knees.

"That's quite enough, Miss Hastings." He boomed. "Back into your room!"

"I will not surrender!" She screamed.

"Then you leave me no choice." The man said, motioning softly to the aids at the window behind him. Kristen noticed, and had the good sense to disguise herself. Kim ducked behind one of the older doctors to avoid being fried. Once the aids saw the girls were safe, they opened the blinds. The midday sun stopped Pariah in her tracks.

"Noooo!" She wailed, falling wholesale onto the linoleum floor. "It burns! It burns!"

"Take her inside quickly!" The doctor ordered. The guards obeyed, swiftly dumping the woman into her cell and locking the door. Once the door had shut with a click, the blinds were once again closed.

"Curse you Nathaniel!" Cameron wailed. "I shall have my vengeance!"

"Not today, Pariah!" Kristen yelled at the door, exciting a pounding noise from her birthmother.

"I think you girls have had enough for today." The man with the taser said softly. "Let's take you back down to the lobby."

The three marched all the way to the parking lot before either of them spoke.

"I wish it could have been different." Kim groaned. "Sorry to ruin it for you, Kris."

"It's not your fault." The onyx haired girl sighed. "Something tells me she would have hated us regardless of what you said."

"That still doesn't make it right." Kim glared.

"What's right doesn't always count." Kristen retorted as she got into her sister's car and prepared for a long, lonely trip back to Florida and the main base for the Dreadnoks. She had been granted an early homecoming, but felt about as low as a girl could get.

**1) Fun quote from Transformers.**

**Next up: The remaining four members of Shadowatch have three days to themselves before they're allowed to return to the main base, which means a lot of team training with Zartan. Wonder who ends up teaching whom?**


	3. Initiations

**Coming into Their Own**

**Disclaimer:**** Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'll let you use me as a doormat.**

**A/N:**** Time for some fun with the rest of the team. Chaos, Golem, Thunderbird, and Lady Mastermind are on base alone, which means someone has to step up during training. Zartan decides to work on hand-to-hand… we'll see how that goes.**

**3. Initiations**

Chaos, Golem, Thunderbird, and Lady M stared at the blue mat before them thinking their boss had lost his marbles.

"Why are we covering this now?" Lady M asked. "Shouldn't battle tactics be covered with the _whole_ team present?"

"Not really." Zartan waved. "Actually, Atlantis' and Vampira's absences benefit you four."

"How can that be?" Thunderbird blinked.

"Their leaving gives you four a chance to catch up to them. Don't get me wrong, you are fine agents, but your aim and evasion skills need work." The man replied. "Today we are covering powerless self-defense. Any questions?"

Golem's hand shot up. "Wrestling or Firstblood?"

Zartan blinked. "Firstblood?" He repeated.

"It's how Andi and Kris fight." Mitch explained.

"No, we will not play firstblood." Zartan sighed. "Use all you know except your powers. The Dukes of Hazard are up first."

The two brothers walked to the mat and stared at each other.

"Don't think I'll go easy on ya 'cause ye'r my brother." Chaos warned.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Golem replied. The younger boy sounded a war cry and the fight began. Fists and feet flew for over five minutes, and Zartan almost stepped in to call a time out, when Mitch pinned his older brother. Bryan may have been taller, but Golem certainly weighed more.

"Well done." Zartan grinned. "Both of you boys take a breather. Lady Mastermind, Thunderbird, you two hop to it." Both mutants gulped before walking to the mat. After standing still for nearly a minute, Bryan shouted "You can start any time now!"

For a few minutes, the pair exchanged half-hearted blows. That changed when Neal accidentally tapped his powers and burned part of Regan's' shirt.

"Hey!" She shouted. "No powers!"

"I didn't mean to!" Neal protested.

"Don't lie to me!" Regan screeched, charging her teammate headlong. Several screams and bruises later, Neal lay unconscious on the mat.

After a ten-minute break for water and food, Bryan and Neal fought for third and fourth place in the double-elimination tournament. Ry, being a yardstick taller, won the round easily. Mitch and Regan went head-to-head next, and the large boy easily pinned the young blond by tackling her. Chaos won the round against Lady M, and then the real fun began.

Chaos had one loss; his brother still reigned undefeated. Chaos needed to win twice to secure first place. Golem required but one.

Zartan allowed a five-minute water break for the competitors, then sent them back into battle.

Bryan won the first heat by closelining his brother from the ropes of the ring, but the next round would not come easy.

Halfway into the second heat, Mitch's chokehold began to turn Bryan's face purple. In an attempt to stop it, Zartan dove into the ring. Mitch blacked his eye, then released his brother in horror of whom he'd hit. Bryan seized his brother's weakness, and rammed the younger boy into the mat.

Chaos reined the ring.

"Sir?" Neal asked after the fight ended. "Why the tournament play against each other? Couldn't we just fight you instead?"

"Not and win, as Atlantis has no doubt told you." Zartan replied. "As to the first question, you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of those you work with. Should your teammate become brainwashed, possessed, or just switch sides all together, you will have to subdue him or her. This test allowed you to put your knowledge of each other's fighting capabilities to the test."

"So **Chaos** is the smart one?" Regan asked. Bryan readied a fist to hit her with.

"Be nice, Regan." Zartan admonished. "Lunch should be ready now. Why don't you all go take a break and relax?"

The teens needed no encouragement. All four raced to the cafeteria.

Zartan, once the kids had left, swore and tore down the other corridor to the med lab.


	4. Competitions

**Coming into Their Own**

**Disclaimer:**** You didn't honestly think I'd give you this box, did you[1**

**4. Competitions**

The following afternoon, the team stumbled into the rec room after a power training session. The boys immediately flipped on the game system.

"I don't see why he keeps having us run these sessions." Regan said. "All of us aren't here."

"He's testing us, Reg." Bryan said. "Andi does that too, remember? She'll have us do what seems like stupid stuff to test what we know."

"Yes, but never like this." The blond sighed. "What are you playing?"

"Battle Tanx." Mitch grinned. "Man, I love this game!"

"All you do is blow each other up." Neal pointed out.

"That's the point!" Ry grinned. "You can lay mines, or get shields, or guided missiles… it's the best war game ever!" [2

"Can I play?" Regan asked.

"Sorry." Mitch winced. "Fourth controller hasn't worked right on this thing since Kris spilled soda on it a few weeks back. Only three can play."

"Hey, but the one with the lowest score gets the controller taken." Ry said.

"Games are fun, but I'd like to play with the real thing." Neal said.

"That's it!" Bryan shouted. "There are some battle drones in the hangar bay!"

"So?" Regan asked.

"They're remote activated." Bryan smirked. "Just like a character in a game! We can play for real this time!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" His brother asked.

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?" Bryan shrugged, running out of the room. Out of pure boredom, the other three followed him to the hangar.

"This is totally awesome!" Mitch whooped as his drone grappled Neal's to the floor.

"Do not become cocky." The younger boy growled. "I shall be victorious!" He punched in a few buttons and fire shot from his robot's torso, incinerating the wiring of Golem's drone.

"You won't beat me so easily!" Regan hissed, steering her drone into Neal's. It began to pummel the other robot into a pulp.

"Go get him, Reg!" Mitch cheered as he watched the match.

"What's going on in here?" A Viper asked as a group walked in.

"Shhh!" Bryan hushed the crowd. "This takes concentration."

"Too bad you don't have any." Regan quipped, smashing through the faceplate of the older boy's robot.

"Cool, it's like robot wars." The first Viper commented.

"You know, if we could make some modifications to these things, we could use them to invade enemy bases." Another mused.

"You'll have to wait until after they finish with them." Golem said. "And then repair them."

"That'll be just fine." The second Viper grinned. "As long as they finish before Zartan gets down here."

"Aha!" Chaos shouted as Neal's robot electrocuted. "I've won!"

"Hey! No powers!" Neal shouted.

"If he can use his, then so can I!" Regan glowered.

"Uh oh." Mitch gulped. "I don't think that was a good idea, Bro."

"I will win this time." Regan hissed, her eyes glowing a telltale green. Bryan's eyes took on the same color for a moment, then faded to their original color. He released his hands from the controls, forcing the robot to remain stationary just long enough for Regan's drone to clobber it.

"That's gonna be a lot of bolts to put together again." The first viper said.

"Why will there be bolts to put together?" Zartan asked, stepping through the door. "And why are the battle drones out here?"

"Uhm, well, it's a funny story." Mitch stumbled. "You see…"

"Yes, I see quite clearly." Zartan said. "Wyngarde! Release Chaos at once!" Regan did so with a grunt. "Good! Now will one of you please explain this?"

"Bryan wanted to play Battle Tanx live." Neal blurted as Bryan blinked.

"Only we couldn't get into the tanks, so we used drones instead." Mitch added.

"I won." Regan stated.

"By using your powers." Mitch said.

"Chaos used his to take out Thunderbird!" Regan protested.

"Not on purpose!" Bryan countered.

"Oh, so you have perfect aim with your strength but can't control this teeny mental power?" Regan scoffed.

"Will you all please just shut up?" Zartan shouted. "Thank you! Now, I don't care who started this, but you will all be cleaning this mess up. No buts, Regan!"

"Yes sir." She grumbled with the others.

"Good." He nodded. "You have one hour to put these drones back together. I suggest you make the most of it."

"Man, this isn't fair." Mitch grumbled.

"Yes it is." Neal replied. "We destroyed the robots, so it is only fitting that our punishment entail reassembling them."

"Fitting or not, I don't like it." Regan said. "I don't do hard work."

"You'd better start, Blondie!" Bryan growled, stalking over to one robot. "Come on you wimps, get down here and get to work!"

By hour's end, Zartan returned to the hangar to check up on the teens' progress. Upon entry, he saw all four robots shoved back into their containment cells.

"Well done." He praised them. "You've done well."

"Thank you." Neal nodded. "Anything else for us to do?"

"Not until we return home." Zartan replied. "Go clean up and start packing. Dismissed."

The four were only too happy to abandon the tools for a suitcase.

**1) Quote from an awesome movie called Sneakers. Very funny.**

**2) Battle Tanx is this amazing game for N64 in which you pick a tank, drive around, and blow stuff up. Keep in mind that this is set before Halo was released to the gaming community.**

**It seems that Zartan has his hands full with only four recruits, but what happens when they return to the rest of the Dreadnoks… And Vampira in a dull mood? You'll have to wait to find out!**


	5. Interventions

**Coming into Their Own**

**Disclaimer:**** if one door shuts, don't open any more until you find a window. Then you'll know where you are and can pick another door to try.**

**5. Interventions**

After several rousing choruses of "the Song that Never Ends" and "99 bottles of beer", Zartan and the majority of Shadowatch arrived at the home base in time for an early dinner. However, what met them at the door was anything but pleasant.

"Please, do something with her!" Monkeywrench begged upon their entry. "She's gone psycho!"

"Who?" Bryan asked.

"That insane vampire's gone off the deep end!" Torch said. "She's on a rampage, I'm tellin' ya!"

"Kris?" Mitch stared incredulously. "Why would she be mad?"

"Guess her trip didn't go so well." Bryan shrugged. "Where is she anyway?"

"Right here, dumbass." A high voice called.

"Miss Mortisson, what have I told you about calling people names like that?" Zartan scolded.

"Not to, but I don't care. He is one, after all." The tiny raven-haired girl replied.

"Vampira, lose that attitude this instant!"

"Or you'll what? Fight me? Not like you can do anything to me. I'm undead!" She replied haughtily.

"Don't make me do this again, Kristen." Regan warned.

"Stay outta my head, Wyngarde!" Kristen hissed.

"If you don't stop this nonsense, I will have no choice." The grass-eyed girl replied. "Either tell us what's going on or I will pull it from you by force!"

"You won't take me alive, Mind-reader!" Kristen shouted, lunging at her teammate.

"Stop!" Neal shouted, firing up. Before Kristen knew it, he grabbed her arm and burned it. Kris squealed like a dying bird.

"You burned me!"

"I had to!" Neal protested. "Kris, you know I don't like to hurt people, but if you keep this up I will set you on fire!"

"Keep what up?" She asked. "Is this so strange to you all?"

"Yes!" was the collective response.

"It shouldn't be!" she hissed. "I have nothing more to say to you bleeders!" She stormed up the stairs. A slamming door confirmed she was out of earshot.

"What was that?" Mitch asked.

"I don't know." Bryan said. "I've never seen her like that before."

"We did once." Regan confessed. "Right after we escaped. Her sister went into something called bloodlust and attacked her. Kim apologized profusely for a week, but Kris wouldn't have any of it. Instead, she started acting like this."

"I think this has something to do with her mother." Neal sighed.

"You mean aunt." Reg said.

"No, I mean birthmother." The dark-skinned boy protested. "Kim called the day before she left. Their mother asked them to visit her."

"That sounds nice." Mitch said.

"At the asylum she lives in." Neal finished.

"Oh." Torch said. "That might explain why she keeps ranting on about not wanting to see that psychobitch again."

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Bryan asked.

"Let her cool off a minute." Zartan answered. "If we're ever going to get to the bottom of this, she needs to be in her right mind to explain things."

* * *

By the end of dinner, Vampira had calmed to a quasi-enjoyable state. However, the company came no closer to determining the exact cause of her violent state. The team hoped to change that.

"So, Kris, how's Kim doing?" Bryan asked. The aqua-eyed girl glanced up at him.

"Oh, she's just fine. Handling her powers much better now. A bit shaken though."

"By what?" Zanya asked. Kristen's expression darkened to the point of nightfall.

"Nothing." She replied. "Just forget I said that."

"Kris, it's not good to keep things bottled up." Mitch commented. "You remember what happened to Andi, right?"

The entire room fell silent. The mention of the blue-eyed girl's suicide attempt brought back vivid memories for everyone.

"I won't kill myself. That is impossible." Kris corrected.

"The point it still there." Zarana said. "You can't just keep secrets like that from everyone! Look, we all know something's eating at you, so why don't you tell us what's been going on here!"

"Nothing!" The vampirette protested.

"Bull shit!" Zanya shouted. "We all know something's wrong, bat-breath! Just spill it already!"

"It's none of your business!"

"It became our business when you decided to attack a teammate." Zartan countered. "Either tell us what is going on, or I will have Lady Mastermind enter your mind and retrieve the information."

Kristen gave a strangled cry, and then glared at her boss. "Fine. My dear mother is apparently the one responsible for the brunt of my mutation. She also tried to attack Kim and me because she believes we're in league with whoever my father was. Crazy bitch went nuts when Kim told her she's a sort-of telepath. Apparently our father was one, and since she hates him, she hates us. Oh, and she got loose for like two minutes and the guards had to open a window to stun her back into her cell. Hope I never see that harridan again."

Everyone sat in shock; none knowing what to say. Regan recovered first. "Well, you could have said that instead of trying to attack me!"

"Sorry." Kristen replied. "Man, that felt good!"

"See? Speaking helps!" Mitch grinned.

"Which is why you, Vampira, are going to two therapy sessions a week instead of just one." Zartan said. Kristen blinked.

"For how long?"

"As long as Sigfreid feels necessary." Zartan replied. "No arguments. When Atlantis returns, she will join you, since both of you seem to have some startling family issues."

"Yes, Sir." She growled.

"Good." He said. "I think that's enough for tonight. Why don't you all go unpack. It's getting late."

No one argued with that idea.

**I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. A little darker than usual, but don't worry, the funny will return in the next installment. **

**If you liked it, let me know.**

**If there's something you didn't like, definitely let me know, and I will try to fix it. (****esp****. spelling and grammar)**

**Now hit that little purple button and send me a line!**


End file.
